What did we learn from the Akron Invitational at Quicken Loans Arena, which rolled to a familiar conclusion Saturday night?

We learned this: When it's crunch time, when it's winning time, don't tread lightly. Treadwell.

Akron did exactly that in an unexpectedly easy 65-46 demolition of Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference championship game.

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This was familiar turf for the Zips. It was their seventh consecutive trip to the MAC championship game, and it's the third time in the last five years they have won it.

They won this one behind their window-wiping, jumping jack 6-foot-7 forward from Euclid, Demetrius Treadwell, who was voted the MVP of the tournament.

Treadwell spent most of the tournament above the rim, but returned to the court long enough to accept his award following the game.

In Akron's three-point win over Kent State in the semifinals, and then in the 19-point win over Ohio in the championship game, Treadwell put on a clinic in lunch-pail basketball, selflessness and good old-fashioned want-to.

He had a double-double in both games. Does that count as a quadruple-double?

Talk about consistency. Against Kent Treadwell had 14 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes. Against Ohio: 13 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes.

Coaches value nothing out of their players more than consistency, and "Tree" is a double-double machine.

"Defensively he's multi-dimensional," said Akron coach Keith Dambrot. "He can guard any position on the floor, he's as strong as an ox, and his will to win is second to none."

Dambrot has so much confidence in Treadwell's defensive versatility that he had no qualms about using a switching man-to-man defense to stifle Ohio, even if meant Treadwell had to occasionally switch onto D.J. Cooper, Ohio's slippery, masterful point guard and the MAC Player of the Year.

Did the strategy work?

Cooper was 0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-6 from behind the arc, and Ohio overall shot just 33 percent from the field and 5 percent -- that's right five -- on 3-point attempts, 1-for-20.

"We must have missed seven layups and six open 3s," said Ohio coach Jim Christian. "Sometimes you just can't explain it."

Over the last 27 minutes of the game Ohio shot 19 percent from the field (7-for-37).

"Defensively we are very good," said Dambrot.

Especially with the frenetic Treadwell able to guard anybody on the floor -- sometimes, it seems, all at the same time.

Playing defense isn't fun, but playing defense wins games -- and it sometimes wins tournament MVP awards.

"The MVP award doesn't mean anything to me," said Treadwell. "I'm just happy we won the game and are going to the NCAA tournament."

Treadwell's work ethic in the paint is a big reason why the Zips will be gathered around the TV late Sunday afternoon to see where and whom they will play in the first round of the Big Dance.

Treadwell is an impactful rebounder because he's a quick jumper who gets off the floor faster than anyone else. Sometimes it looks like an optical illusion, like he can jump twice before anyone else jumps once. He's big, strong, physical and he plays hard all the time.

It almost seems like Treadwell and the Zips have turned it up a notch since the loss of starting point guard Alex Abreu, who was suspended indefinitely following his arrest on drug charges.

Akron wobbled slightly at the end of the season, but in the MAC tournament looked like the kind of team any potential first-round opponent in the NCAA tournament would not care to see.

For that, Dambrot deserves some credit.

"We lost the guy who ran our offense all year (Abreu)," said Marshall. "I don't know of any coach in the country who could fix that in one week."

Dambrot did so by inserting freshman Carmelo Betancourt into the lineup in place of Abreu. Point guard is the hardest position on the court to play for a freshman, but Betancourt has done a decent job of both running the offense and staying out of the way.

It worked in the MAC tournament, and now it's on to the NCAAs.

For Treadwell, the MAC tournament may have been his coming-out party. He's been very good for the Zips all season, but he was really good in the MAC tournament. His offensive game is somewhat limited -- shooting foul shots? Don't ask -- but you'd be surprised at how many points you can score just on sheer effort.